Tragic Beginnings
by saywhat
Summary: A horrible accident leads to revelations including which girl Craig really loves, Manny or Ashleybut will she be there for him when the unthinkable happens?
1. Consequences

This takes place right after the ep "Holiday". Disclaimer: I own nothing! NOTHING!  
  
Ch. 1- Consequences  
The alarm clock buzzed loudly, jarring Craig out from his safe dream world back into the harsh reality of his own life. He sighed, recalling a day where he would have been almost eager to get up and go to school. He had to admit that his life had gotten pretty good. The summer had been rough after his father's death, but with some counseling and the support of Joey and Ashley, he had pulled through.  
But he didn't have Ashley anymore. He didn't have Manny either. He didn't even have Joey right now as he had gone away on a vacation with Caitlin.  
With another sigh, Craig rolled out of bed. He groggily went through his usual morning routine then headed downstairs. Angie was staying with her grandmother until Joey returned that evening so he had the house to himself. He contemplated skipping school that day again, but decided against it. He knew he would already be in trouble for cutting yesterday.  
Craig trudged through the snow to the bus stop where Sean and Marco were waiting. They said their usual greetings but things were strained among them. Craig knew they had seen Ashley slap him; everyone had seen it.  
  
"Listen, guys," Craig started in a low voice. Immediately, Sean and Marco leaned in, obviously eager to hear the story. "I know you must be wondering what happened between me and Ash." He took a deep breath. "Long story short, I was an idiot and cheated on her and she found out."  
Both boys were shocked.  
"No way," Sean said. "That was the last thing I expected."  
"Yeah," Marco agreed. "We were trying to figure out what happened. Our best guess was that you ran over her dog or something."  
"Yeah I wish that was all I had done. In that case, she might have forgiven me." He looked away to see if the bus was coming. When he turned back, his friends were staring at him expectantly. "What?"  
Marco and Sean looked at each other then back at Craig.  
"Hello? Who's the mistress?" Marco asked, wiggling his eyebrows up and down mischievously.  
"Um, well.it was.M-Manny."  
Sean chuckled. "Shoulda guessed."  
"What do you mean?"  
"Oh come on, you don't see the way she looks at you? She's obviously got it bad for the Craig-man." Sean shook his head. "Probably since last year."  
Just then, the bus pulled up and Craig was unable to question Sean further about his comment.  
Craig took a deep breath before climbing aboard. Ashley was there, sitting towards the front next to Terri. Both girls glared at him before continuing their conversation. Craig winced, looking away as he headed towards the back and collapsed into an empty seat. Marco sat beside him while Sean stretched out on the seat across the aisle.  
"Man that look could have rivaled Medusa's," Marco murmured.  
Craig didn't answer, just leaned his head against the window, watching as the snow began to fall.  
  
+++  
  
Craig had been dreading seventh period all day. It was the one class he shared with Manny. Despite being in different grades, they were both in the same art class. He recalled the days before everything fell apart with a mixture of nostalgia and guilt. They sat next to each other and would often draw silly cartoons of each other. Craig still had one Manny had drawn of the two of them ice-skating.  
Craig entered the room cautiously. Manny hadn't arrived yet. He took his usual seat and fixed his eyes on the door. At the bell, Manny finally entered and Craig caught his breath. She had somehow gotten even prettier over the vacation. Her hair was sprinkled with red highlights and her skin was tan. She wore a new white fur jacket that set off her sparkling brown eyes.  
She surveyed the room and upon seeing him, a small smile played across her lips. It was so quickly replaced with a set jaw that Craig thought he had maybe imagined the smile. She squared her shoulders and strutted across the room to take her seat beside him. Craig was unsure if he should say anything but opted against him. She wouldn't even look at him.  
"Today we are going to discuss perspective," Mrs. Lyle began. "What you see when you look around you and what the person next to you sees are two very different things."  
Yeah tell me about it, Craig thought, glancing at Manny who was doodling in her notebook. He thought of what he could say to her. Manny, I'm really sorry I hurt you and Ash. I was just afraid. I didn't know what to do and it was wrong to lead both of you on. In his mind, Manny smiled and accepted his apology. Ashley entered the room also and told him that she forgave him too.  
"Craig?"  
  
Manny's voice broke into his daydream. "Huh?" He blinked and noticed that she was handing him a box full of markers.  
"You're supposed to pick a color. You know, make a choice." Her voice was icy cold and Craig meekly took the box.  
He pulled out a green marker and stared at his paper until the bell rang. Mrs. Lyle came to stand behind him. "Craig? You do know you were supposed to be using that marker."  
"What? Oh sorry. I-I'm just a little distracted. It won't happen again."  
Mrs. Lyle shook her head. "I'll assume that you still have some residual laziness from vacation. But tomorrow I'm expecting you to work."  
Craig nodded with a quick smile then hurried off to English class. He slid into his seat just as the bell rang.  
"Hey man," Jimmy said. "So I heard about you and Ash." He shook his head. "Gotta say that wasn't cool what you did. I mean, I know how it feels, you know?"  
"I know, okay? It was dumb and I wish I could take it back, but I can't." Craig's words came out harsher than he meant them to and Jimmy was taken aback. Before he had a chance to respond, Mrs. Kwan began to speak.  
"I expect all of you have your poems ready for today. I need a volunteer to read theirs aloud. Okay, Ashley."  
Craig cringed as his ex-girlfriend stood up and began to read, staring directly at him.  
Selfishness brings only pain You wanted it all  
And ended with nothing  
Words can't break bones  
But they can break hearts  
Those tiny white lies  
Stay by your side  
  
And now you're all alone  
  
+++  
  
As soon as he got home from school that day, Craig collapsed onto his bed. The day had grown progressively worse as he failed a Physics pop quiz and slipped on ice as he got off the bus. He rubbed his sore knee as he thought. He had to do something about Ashley and Manny. He couldn't stand the fact that they despised him. Various ideas floated into his head. Calling them? They would hang up on him. Showing up at their houses? They wouldn't let him in. Emailing them? They might just delete it.  
After a while, Craig fell asleep. He was woken up a few hours later by Joey's arrival at home with Angie.  
"Craig!" Angela jumped on top of him, grinning.  
"Hey there." He gave her a kiss on the cheek then got up and headed into the kitchen. "Hey Joey. How was Montreal?"  
"Fantastic." Joey flipped through the mail. "How was everything over here?"  
"Fine."  
Joey put down the mail and looked at Craig. "How's things at school? You know, with, uh, Ashley and Manny?"  
Craig shook his head, sitting down at the table. "As bad is it gets without them actually shooting me. I don't know what to do, Joey. I want to apologize. I don't want them to hate me."  
"Well, you're gonna have to give it time. They're not going to get over it right away. Give them a little while to cool down and then try to talk to them."  
"I guess." Craig paused. "Do you think they'll forgive me?"  
Joey shrugged. "It depends. You have to genuinely be sorry, Craig, or else they'll see right through you."  
  
"I know, I know." Craig picked up a napkin and began folding it into a tiny square. "It's just hard to be patient." He suddenly had an idea. "Uh, thanks for the help, Joey." He hurried back into his room and shut the door.  
A letter. A letter was more personal than an email and he didn't run the risk of accidentally sending it to the entire school.  
Craig immediately set to work composing the two letters. 


	2. The Letters

Dear Ashley,  
  
I know you probably hate me right now and never want to talk to me again. I know that what I did to you was horrible and wrong. I also know that I probably don't deserve forgiveness. But to 'err is human, to forgive divine', right? That said, I want to deeply apologize for cheating on you. It was one of the biggest mistakes of my life and I wish I could take it back. I never wanted to hurt you. Your poem was true- I was selfish and ended up losing everyone- including someone very special to me, someone who was there for me when I needed them the most. I probably wouldn't have gotten through the summer without you. You've been amazing to me and I never returned any of it. We can probably never be friends, or anything like that, but I just hope with this letter that maybe you don't have to hate me.  
  
Craig  
  
Dear Manny,  
  
What I did to you was unforgivable. I know that. I'm not writing this letter to ask for forgiveness. I just want you to know that I really did care about you and the last thing I wanted was to make you feel the way I did. I'm sorry for all the lies. I'm sorry for leading you on, making you believe something that wasn't true. I was just a coward and couldn't do what I needed to do. You didn't deserve to be treated the way I treated you. I hope that you will find someone who will treat you like the beautiful person you are.  
  
Craig  
  
Craig read the letters over one last time before heading outside to deliver them, unable to wait the day or two it would take to mail them. He carefully slipped the letters into each of the girls' mailboxes, crossing his fingers.  
  
+++  
  
"Here." Toby tossed some mail onto Ashley's floor then left. Ashley shifted the phone to her shoulder and picked it up.  
"Oh, Ellie, I got those pictures I sent out weeks ago, finally." Ashley riffled through the rest of her mail until she reached a plain white envelope with just her name on the front. Curious, she tore it open quickly. Her eyes scanned the bottom of the letter and she nearly dropped the phone, seeing Craig's name.  
"Ash?"  
"Oh sorry, El. Um, listen I hafta go. I'll call you back later." She hung up the phone then proceeded to carefully read the letter. Then she read it again, unsure of what to think. She still was furious at him for what he had done to her. She had never been so hurt or felt so foolish. But she had to admit the letter did show that he cared and was sorry.  
Still, she didn't want to forgive him. He had hurt her badly and it wasn't something she could just forget.  
On a whim, she got up, went over to her drawer and pulled out an envelope. In it were pictures of Craig that she hadn't been able to throw away. She flipped through them slowly and couldn't help but smile at some of the goofy faces he had made. There was one picture that made her pause. It was at end of the year dance from last year and had been taken as they were slow dancing. Her back was to the camera but she could see Craig's face. It was filled with sadness and she couldn't help but feel bad for him all over again. He had been through so much.  
Still that doesn't give him the right to do whatever he wants. Ashley reminded herself. Then she sighed, falling back onto her bed. It was so much easier to hate him.  
  
+++  
  
Manny lay curled up in her bed, a blanket over her. She was thinking back over what had happened to her over the last few months. She guessed it had started when she changed her image. She hadn't meant to change anything else but her look, but now she realized that she had changed. Not only did her attire become more risqué but so did her personality. She had gone for Craig, knowing he had a girlfriend, broken JT's heart and stopped being friends with Emma. She really didn't have any friends anymore. The only guys she hung out with were there to drool over her and the girls thought she was a slut. That had made it hurt even more when she found out Craig had been lying to her. The one person she had left had deceived her.  
After a while, she got up to go downstairs and make herself a pot of tea. She glanced out the window and was surprised to see Craig walking up her walkway. She quickly ducked down so he wouldn't see her, but peeked through the curtains to watch him put an envelope in her mailbox. Once she was sure he was a safe distance away, she dashed outside to get the letter. Tearing it open, her heart beating quickly, she read it. Before she could even think of its meaning, the phone rang, startling her. She picked it up, expecting it to be her mother.  
"Manny?"  
Manny frowned. The voice sounded familiar but she couldn't quite place it. "Who is this?"  
"It's Ashley."  
"Oh. Hi."  
"Listen, um, I wanted to ask you something. It may sound a little weird, but did you-"  
"Get a letter from Craig?"  
"Yeah. So what do you think of it, because, honestly, I have no idea what to make of it."  
Manny shook her head. "I don't know. It sounds pretty sincere, I guess. I mean, I'm not ready to go knocking down his door and declare that I forgive him, but."  
"Yeah that's pretty much what I was thinking. All right, well, um, thanks."  
"No problem." Manny hung up the phone. Well that was awkward. Then her eyes fell back on the letter and she sighed. She wished she had someone to really discuss this with. She couldn't help but feel her old feelings for Craig returning.  
I loved him so much, she thought miserably. But he lied so much. I can't forgive him. I can't. 


	3. Facing Harsh Realities

The next morning, Craig could barely eat his breakfast. All he could think about was the letters he had delivered the day before.  
"Something the matter, Craig?" Joey asked. "You seem a little distracted."  
"Uh, no, not really. Just, uh, wondering how I did on a pop quiz I took yesterday." He downed the last of his orange juice.  
"Ah, don't worry about it. I'm sure you did fine. Come on, you want a ride to school today?"  
"Sure, what's the occasion?" Craig asked, as he helped his sister put on her jacket.  
"Well, I'm heading in that direction," Joey replied, smiling. "Gonna go visit Caitlin before work."  
"Ah I see," Craig replied with a teasing grin. "The two lovebirds finally together and can't get enough of each other, right Ange?" Angela giggled.  
"Yeah, yeah, maybe I'll leave you by the side of some road." Joey led them outside to his red car. "Brrr, it sure is cold out today." He rubbed his hands together.  
"Yeah, Angie, you better make sure you keep that hat on. You don't want your ears to turn to icicles," Craig said as he strapped her in then sat in the passenger seat.  
Joey backed out of the driveway slowly. "It's icy too. I'm gonna hafta drive like my mother."  
  
Craig chuckled as they eased their way onto the main road. The few cars around them were also driving very slowly. Craig noticed a black truck headed towards them from the opposite direction. It was obviously trying to pass the car in front of it and came onto the wrong side of the road, speeding. Without warning, it began to skid on the slick roads.  
"Joey watch out!"  
Craig's warning was no use. Joey twisted his wheel, trying to avoid the truck but also began to skid.  
And the two cars collided.  
  
+++  
  
Ashley sat impatiently in her first period class, staring at the door. It was ten minutes into the period and Craig still wasn't there. She had decided she didn't want to hate him anymore and to talk to him about the letter. But he was nowhere to be found.  
After the bell rang, she strolled slowly to the computer lab, keeping an eye out for Craig. When she reached the classroom, a minute late, students were still chatting and standing around. Mr. Simpson wasn't there yet.  
"Where's Simpson?" she asked Ellie, taking her seat. Ellie shrugged. "No clue. Hope he's okay." Just then Mr. Simpson came into the room, looking harried. "Okay, sorry I'm late, please take your seats!" He waited until everyone had settled down before starting the lesson. "He looks really freaked out," Ellie whispered to Ashley. "Wonder what's up." Ashley shrugged.  
  
+++  
  
Joey paced the hospital waiting room. He had a small cut on his forehead and his arm was badly bruised but other than that he was okay.  
He cursed himself over and over again for not having the passenger side airbag checked. It hadn't deployed when the accident occurred and Craig's head had apparently slammed into the dashboard. Tears filled his eyes when he thought of Angela. The car seat had broken when the car behind them had been unable to stop and collided with them as well. He had been horrified to discover her small limp body on the floor of the backseat. The worst part was that the doctors didn't appear to be sure of anything right now.  
"Joey!"  
  
Joey turned to see Caitlin hurrying through the emergency room doors. He had called her when he reached the hospital, then Snake, unsure of who else to call.  
  
They embraced when she reached him. "What's going on? How are they?"  
"They don't know anything yet."  
"Come on, sit down then. You should rest." She led him over to a chair, holding his hand tightly.  
"I can't even think about resting, when they're." Joey trailed off. "God if only I would have noticed that truck earlier."  
Caitlin rubbed his arm comfortingly. "There's nothing you could have don't differently. You told me that truck was driving dangerously under such bad conditions. It's not your fault. I don't want to hear you blaming yourself, got it?"  
Joey just sighed.  
After what seemed like an eternity, a doctor came through the swinging doors and headed towards them. Joey and Caitlin both sprang to their feet.  
"How are they?" Joey asked breathlessly. "A-Angela and Craig. Are they okay?"  
The doctor held up a hand. "Just calm down, Mr. Jeremiah. Everything's going to be better if we just take a breath. Why don't we have a seat? " He cleared his throat as they all sat down, Joey and Caitlin across from the doctor. "Okay, well, Craig has a concussion and he's still unconscious. Fortunately, we believe that he will recover just fine. We'll still have to run some tests once he wakes up, however."  
Joey smiled slightly at Caitlin in relief. "Okay, and what about Angie?" His heart stopped when he saw the expression on the doctor's face. "Oh God."  
"Angela suffered some more serious head trauma. It was especially worse because she's so young." The doctor paused to take a deep breath. "She's in a coma, Mr. Jeremiah. I'm terribly sorry."  
Joey felt the world drop out from underneath him. 


	4. Waking Up

Craig's first thought when he began to wake up was that he definitely was not in his own bed. The sheets were stiff and thin and his head ached terribly. He carefully opened his eyes then shut them quickly as the light made his head pound even more.  
"Craig?"  
A voice penetrated his fog and it sounded familiar. He slowly attempted to open his eyes a crack and moved his eyes around. A blurry face was very close to his and spoke his name again. This time, he realized who it was.  
"Joey?" he croaked.  
"Hey, how are you feeling?" Craig could feel Joey's hand gripping his.  
"O-Okay." Craig opened his eyes wider and realized he was in a hospital. "What's going on? Wha-What happened?"  
"Do you remember the accident?" Joey asked gently.  
Craig nodded then grimaced. "Yeah a little." The events of the morning slowly came back to him. "Are you okay?"  
"I'm fine."  
"What about Ange?" Craig's heart skipped a beat when Joey looked away.  
"She.she's not okay, Craig." Joey paused, obviously trying to compose himself. "She's in a coma."  
"What? Oh God, no." Craig felt like he couldn't breathe. "Not Ange."  
"The doctors say that she could wake up at any moment," Joey told him. He stroked the boy's hair gently. "I have faith that she'll pull through."  
Craig bit his lip to hold back tears.  
"Listen, I'll be right back, okay? I'm going to go get the doctor." Joey patted Craig's hand before hurrying out the door.  
As soon as he left, Craig quickly swiped at his eyes. He couldn't imagine his sweet little sister in a coma. He couldn't help but think of how she had been only that morning before they left, giggling at his jokes.  
After a few minutes, Joey came back into the room followed by Caitlin and a doctor.  
"This is Dr. Wells," Joey told Craig.  
"How are you feeling, Craig?" Caitlin asked as Dr. Wells began to check Craig's vital signs.  
"I'm fine," Craig replied. "My head just hurts."  
"Yes well that's to be expected. I'll tell the nurse give you something for the pain." The doctor made some notations on his clipboard. "Any dizziness, nausea?"  
"A little of both."  
"Okay we're going to move you to another room tomorrow morning, Craig. We have to run some tests. You'll stay here for tonight."  
"Okay." Craig paused before continuing. "Could I go see my sister?"  
"Um, I'm sorry Craig, but you shouldn't move from that bed at least until tomorrow. You hit your head pretty hard and you don't want to make it worse than it is."  
"But-"  
"Craig," Joey cut in, "I don't need you to get any worse. Please. You can see her as soon as the doctor says it's okay, I promise."  
Craig thought about arguing but then realized that Joey was probably right. Besides he didn't want to aggravate Joey. He was obviously under enough stress. "Fine."  
After a while, the doctor left and Caitlin followed soon after. Joey stayed until visiting hours were almost over then left to stay with his daughter for a little while. A nurse came in to give Craig his dinner but he barely touched it. She also gave him some pills to take for his headache before leaving him for the night. Craig carefully put the pills on his nightstand next to his glass of water. He waited for almost an hour until it was past midnight. Then he slowly sat up and swung his feet over the bed. His head began to pound even more but he did his best to ignore it as he got to his feet, swaying. He held onto the wall for support and made his way to the bathroom. He found a robe and some slippers, which he put on before heading towards the door. Peeking outside, he saw that the nurses station was all the way down the hall. The only nurse in sight was on the phone with her back towards him. Quickly, he dashed out into the hall and through the swinging doors. Shivering, he followed the signs to the Intensive Care Unit where he'd overheard Joey say Angela was.  
"Dammit," he muttered, seeing how well guarded the area was. There were several nurses sitting at a desk, right by the entrance doors.  
But he refused to give up. He had an idea and hurried back to his own room. He went back into the bathroom and saw that his clothes were hanging in a closet. Quickly dressing, he hurried back to the ICU. He entered casually, heading for the nurses station. "Um, excuse me?"  
The nurses looked startled but one of them answered him. "Yes?"  
"Um, I just was released and I was wondering if I could see a patient."  
One of the nurses raised an eyebrow. "You just got released?"  
Craig nodded. "Yep."  
"At-" She checked her watch. "Twelve thirty four at night?"  
Craig paused then smiled shakily. "Yeah, well, you know, I-I was doing so well that they decided to, uh." Yeah, I didn't think this through.  
"Craig!"  
Craig turned at the sound of his name and saw Harriet, one his father's old friends and a nurse at the hospital. "Oh, uh, hi."  
"Craig, I never really got a chance to talk to you at the funeral. I was so terribly sorry about your father."  
"Uh thanks."  
"Now what's the problem?" She paused. "Oh yes, your step-sister was admitted recently, wasn't she?" She shook her head. "I'm so sorry Craig. But if you want, you can see her for just a few minutes. She's right through here." She pointed to a room.  
"Thanks," Craig told her then slowly entered the room. It was dark but he didn't turn on a light. Feeling a little light headed and dizzy, he pulled a chair over as he made his way to the bed. Upon seeing his sister, he felt even more queasy. She looked so small and helpless in the hospital bed. She had a small bandage on her forehead but other than that, she looked okay. He could almost pretend that she was just asleep at home. No he couldn't.  
He covered her small hand with his own and leaned forward, his chin resting on his hand. Please Angie. You have to wake up. I can't lose you.  
Craig was so involved in his thoughts that he didn't even hear the door open.  
"Craig!"  
Craig nearly jumped out of his skin as he turned around to see Dr. Wells standing in the doorway, glaring at him. "Craig, what are you doing here? Well, I know what you're doing, but you shouldn't be here."  
Craig got up slowly. "I-I know. I'm sorry. I just had to."  
"Craig, I know you're upset, but please, you have to listen to me. I don't want you to hurt yourself anymore, okay? That's not going to help your sister. When the nurse came by to check on you, she nearly had a heart attack. Fortunately, I realized where you had probably gone. Now come on. Back to your room." Craig managed to kiss Angela on the forehead before Dr. Wells firmly took his arm and led him back to his room. Craig apologized again before Dr. Wells left him alone. He changed back into his hospital gown and robe then climbed into bed. He took his pills and then just lay in bed, waiting for sleep that wouldn't come. 


	5. Visitors

Ashley was asleep when the phone rang the next morning. She waited for someone to get it but them remembered that her parents had taken Toby to a science convention. Groaning, she fumbled around on her nightstand until she found the phone and answered it.

"Hello?" she mumbled sleepily.

"Ash, it's Paige."

"No it's not," Ashley replied, rubbing her eyes. "It's like eight o'clock on a Saturday. Paige Michaelchuck would not be awake at this hour."

"Ash, it's serious." The tone of Paige's voice startled Ashley.

"What's wrong?"

"I was just talking to Spinner who got a call from Marco who got a call from Sean. At least I think that's the way it went. Maybe Sean called Spin and Marco called Sean…"

"Paige, what is it?!" Ashley cried, exasperated. She was fully awake now.

"It's Craig. Apparently him and Joey and his sister got into a car accident. A bad one."  
Ashley caught her breath. "A-are they okay?"

Paige paused. "Well Sean or whoever, spoke to Craig and he said that he and Joey were fine. But his little sister is in a coma, Ash."

"Oh no, not Ange." Ashley put a hand to her forehead. "Oh God. Poor Craig."

"Yeah, I know. He doesn't seem to have a lotta luck with his family." Paige paused as Ashley tried to figure out what she should do. "Listen, my brother's driving a bunch of us over there later. Do you wanna come? It's okay if you don't want to. I know it might be weird for you."

"No, no I'll definitely come. Thanks." They made the arrangements then Ashley slowly hung up the phone. After sitting in bed for a few minutes, she knew what she had to do and picked up the phone. She found the small slip of paper in her drawer and dialed the number written on it. 

"Hello?"

"Hi, may I please speak to Manny?"

+++

Craig had finally managed to fall asleep just as the light of dawn peeked through the window blinds. He woke up at ten, exhausted. Lying there for a while, he noticed there was breakfast on his tray. He managed to swallow some of the orange juice before the door to his room opened.

"Hello, Craig." An older woman entered the room, smiling cheerfully. "I'm Dr. Kelsey and I'm going to be administering your tests today. But don't worry. You don't need a number two pencil." She chuckled as she took his chart off the foot of his bed.

Craig smiled weakly at the corny joke.

The rest of the morning and part of the afternoon for Craig was spent being wheeled from one room to another. Finally by the time afternoon visiting hours were starting, he was finally brought back to his own room. 

He had barely settled back into his bed when Joey came into the room. 

"Hey, Craig, how are you feeling today?"

Craig shrugged. "I'm wiped. But my head feels better."

"That's good. Uh, listen, you have some visitors, a couple of your friends from school. I told them that I'd check first to make sure you were up to seeing them."

"Uh, yeah, sure. Send them in."  
"Okay. I'm gonna go head up to visit Ange while they're here." Joey left and within minutes, Craig's room was filled. Paige held balloons emblazoned with "Get Well" and smiley faces while Spinner reluctantly held a large glittering card. Marco carried a small vase of flowers. Sean stood awkwardly next to Emma who held a stuffed bear in her arms. And then he saw Ashley hanging towards the back behind Jimmy looking rather uncomfortable.

"Wow!" Craig exclaimed, smiling genuinely for the first time since the accident. 

"Yeah, we went a little overboard at the gift shop," Emma said, grinning. 

"How are you feeling, man?" Sean asked. 

"I'm fine. Thanks for coming, everyone." Craig smiled as Emma handed him the bear. "Aw, he's what I've always wanted." He cradled the bear close to his chest and everyone laughed.

"This card's from all of us." Paige nudged Spinner who handed Craig the card. He opened it and quickly scanned all of the signatures noting that Ashley's name was at the end. 

"Thanks a lot. This is just what I needed, guys."

Everyone stayed and talked to Craig for a few more minutes before turning to leave. They filed out the door—except for Ashley. She came to stand beside Craig's bed. He was too surprised to say anything as she sat in a chair.

"Listen, Craig. I wanted to talk to you. First of all, I'm so sorry about Ange." 

Craig looked away as thoughts of his sister flowed back into his mind.

"Second, I-I wanted to discuss the letter." Ashley took a deep breath. "Craig, I forgive you." Craig began to interrupt but she stopped him. "And no it's not just because of the accident. I had already decided this yesterday." She took his hand, staring at it. "Craig, you hurt me a lot. And it would be easy to say that I hated you and that I never want to speak to you again. But that's not true. I would like to be able to start over with you. Not a relationship, but just as friends."

Craig felt like a huge weight had been lifted off his chest. "Oh Ash, you have no idea what this means to me. You are-you are—there are no words."

Ashley smiled and leaned in to hug him. He couldn't help but feel some of his old feelings return at the familiar embrace. When they pulled away, Craig noticed someone standing in the doorway. 

"Manny," he blurted out.

Ashley whirled around to see the girl standing uncertainly in the doorway. She glanced back at Craig. "I have to go anyway. They're waiting for me." She gave Craig's hand a quick squeeze before leaving. 

"Hey Craig. How are you?" She stepped into the room, letting the door fall shut behind her and came to stand beside his bed. She tucked a stray lock of her dark hair behind her ear. He wondered if she had read his letter yet but her face was as blank as a peeled onion.

"I'm okay. You?"

"Fine. Any word about Angela yet?"

Craig shook his head, swallowing hard. "Still the same."

Manny was silent for a long time, playing with the drawstring of her jacket. "Craig, do you want to come with me? I'm gonna go see her."

Craig was surprised. "Y-you are?"

"Yeah, remember, I taught her class in ice-skating?" Manny reminded him, then sighed. "I can't believe this happened to that sweet little girl."

"Oh yeah. Um, hold on one second." Craig buzzed the nurse. When she came into the room he asked if he could go. She approved but told him to be back in fifteen minutes. 

Craig climbed out of bed and was slightly taken aback as Manny helped him into his robe and slippers. She started walking towards the door then stopped and reached out her hand behind her.

Without turning around, she simply said, "Come on."

Craig slowly stood up and took her hand in his.


	6. Revelations

Craig and Manny arrived at Angela's room just as Joey was leaving.

"Oh hey guys," he said, raising his eyebrows. "Craig, you aren't sneaking up here again, are you?"

"No, the nurse said it was okay. We're just gonna be a few minutes."

"Okay, I'm going to get some coffee. You kids want anything?"

Both of them shook their heads. Joey patted Craig on the shoulder as he walked away. 

Craig led Manny into the room and shut the door quietly behind them. He watched as she approached the bed and stared down at Angela. After a minute, she slowly turned to Craig, her eyes brimming with tears.

Craig hurried over and put an arm around her. "Hey it's okay." She fell into his embrace, sniffling, obviously trying to hold back sobs. "Shhh." He rubbed her back soothingly.

"Craig, don't. I should be comforting you," she whispered.

"It's okay. Don't worry about it." He held her for a little while. When they separated, he grabbed a chair and offered it to Manny, who shook her head.

"You should sit," she told him.

Craig couldn't help but agree. He still felt weak and nearly collapsed into the chair. He took his sister's hand in both of his. The tears that hadn't come the night before came now as soon as he touched her and they fell steady like rain. He bowed his head forward, leaning his forehead on his hands. He felt slightly embarrassed to cry like this in front of Manny.

"Craig, it'll be okay. I know it doesn't look like it will be but—"

Craig shook his head. "No, it won't be. She's all I have, Manny." He turned his head slightly to look at Manny. "I don't have anyone else."  
"Sure you do," Manny replied. "You have Joey, and all your friends…"

"But it's still not fair," Craig whispered. "Why does it keep happening to me? Everyone I care about…"

"Craig, Angela's gonna be fine," Manny said hesitantly.

Craig shook his head again. "You don't understand. I need her. I can't-I can't lose anyone else. I just can't." A strangled sob escaped from his throat. "I can't bear this stuff anymore."

He felt Manny's hand on the side of his face and he slowly raised his head. She gently wiped at his tearstained cheeks. "Yes you can, Craig. Because I'll bear it with you." 

Craig felt the last of his composure melt away as she knelt by his chair, and gently kissed his cheek before gathering him into his arms. He began to cry in earnest and felt a drop on his arm, realizing she was crying too.

When he was finally calm, Craig pulled away from Manny. She stared at him, her big brown eyes shinning, and her nose red from crying. 

"Th-thank you," he whispered. 

Manny smiled slightly. "You're welcome." He turned back to look at his sister. "Craig?"

"Yeah?"

"What's that noise?"

Craig realized a beeping sound was coming from one of the machines. "I-I don't know." He grabbed the nurses button and buzzed it until a nurse came to the room, looking annoyed.

"Th-the machine," he stammered before she could say anything. "It started beeping."

The nurse looked startled but came over to look at the printout. She smiled. "Well, well. Looks like Miss Angela is finally ready to wake up."

Craig was shocked. "What? She is?!"

The nurse nodded. "She's no longer in a coma. I'll get Dr. Wells." She hurried out of the room. 

Craig turned to Manny, still in disbelief. Manny was grinning from ear to ear, and let out a squeal of delight, jumping into Craig's arms. He felt new tears streaming down his face, this time out of joy. 

"She's gonna wake up," he murmured. "Oh thank God, she's gonna wake up." He suddenly pulled away from Manny hesitated for just a second. They both leaned in at the same time and as the kiss deepened, Craig heard a small sigh. He broke away and turned to the bed. 

Angela had shifted in her sleep and a slight smile played on her face. Craig pulled Manny over to the bed, and put his arm around her, both of them gazing down at the child.

"Told you it'd be okay," Manny said with a smile, nudging him playfully.

Craig laughed. "Yeah, you did." 

Manny wiped at her eyes and noticed mascara was smeared on her fingers. "God, my face must be a mess."

Craig put a finger under her chin and tilted her face upwards. "Manny, you could have mud all over your face and still never fail to look beautiful," he told her with a chuckle. He pulled her towards him, wrapping his arms around her tightly. 

Manny caught her breath. She couldn't ever remember anyone besides her family calling her beautiful. Even the boys who liked her only told her she was 'hot' or 'gorgeous'. Never beautiful. 

For the first time in her life, Manny truly didn't care what she looked like as she stood being slightly crushed by the one she loved.


	7. Changes

Angela was released from the hospital four days later. When she arrived home Joey and Craig had a 'welcome home' banner and a plethora of new stuffed animals waiting for her.  
Craig spent nearly every waking moment by her side. She still didn't really know what had happened but was thrilled by all the attention. Joey made sure she got plenty of rest but seemed to be back to her old self.  
The next week, Craig returned to school. His friends were happy to see him and to hear that his sister was doing so well. Even his teachers were lenient on him making up missed assignments.  
When he walked into his first period class, nearly everyone rushed at him, welcoming him back and hugging him. He felt a little overwhelmed but glad at the same time.  
"Hey, Craig," Ashley said warmly, hugging him quickly. "Welcome back."  
"Thanks."  
Ashley returned to her seat when Mrs. Kwan entered the room and told everyone to quiet down. As she talked to Craig, Ellie leaned over to Ashley.  
"What was that about? Don't you want his head on a stick?"  
Ashley laughed and shook her head. "Not anymore."  
"Don't tell me that letter made you change your mind," Ellie replied, raising her eyebrows. "I can't believe you would be taken in by that."  
Ashley shook her head. "It was more than that, El. The letter did kinda trigger something though. Everyone makes mistakes. I'm not condoning what he did but."  
"Yeah some mistake. He just tripped and fell on Manny, right?"  
Ashley rolled her eyes. "Well, remember what I told you about a couple of years ago? When I took E? It kinda got me thinking about that. I had done something completely idiotic and hurt people I cared about. All I wanted was forgiveness and it took forever to get it. I-I guess I just don't want someone else to go through what I went through."  
Ellie shrugged. "I guess if that's the way you feel. You don't mind that I still think he's scum, do you?"  
Ashley smiled. "Go ahead."  
  
+++  
  
Manny was especially excited to see Craig. Not wanting to horn in on his time with his family, she had only called him once and spoken to him for a few minutes.  
As she got dressed that morning, she dug to the bottom of her closet and found a box of clothing. She pulled out her old favorite jeans, well worn and broken-in. Then she put on a tanktop. Hesitating for a second she grabbed a blue button down blouse and put it on over the tanktop, letting it hang open. Letting her hair fall naturally, she put on no makeup and headed downstairs. It was the first day in a long time that she could go downstairs without wearing a long sweat jacket or carrying her makeup in her backpack.  
As Manny entered the school, she noticed that she got many less stares than she usually did. The ones that did notice her did double takes, obviously surprised by her new attire.  
She tried her best to ignore the whispers as she reached her locker. On the way, she passed by Emma. She continued walking, noting out of the corner of her eye that Emma was staring at her. She went on a few more feet then stopped and turned around.  
"Hey, Emma."  
"Uh, hey." Emma paused as she was removing a book from her locker.  
"Listen, I know you're probably still mad about everything that happened but I've been doing a lot of thinking and I want to talk to you." Manny took a breath, giving Emma a chance to respond.  
The blond girl was silent for a long time. "Okay. Meet me after school out at the Dot."  
"Great, thanks." Manny continued on her way to her locker, feeling a little better.  
The rest of the day went by slowly until she was finally headed to art class. She nearly ran there, and was one of the first students to arrive. She sat in her seat and stared at the door until finally Craig arrived. She saw him scan the room and when his eyes rested on her, a smile lit up his face. He hurried to his seat beside her.  
"Hey there."  
"Hey, Craig. How are you doing?" Manny couldn't help but think of how cute he looked that day, with his messy brown hair and a blue button down shirt that reflected his eyes.  
"Great. Really great."  
Suddenly Manny didn't know what to say. She just sat there, awkwardly, hoping something would pop into her head.  
"So, um," Craig started, "new look? Well, actually, old look. Actually in between look."  
Manny pulled at her shirt self-consciously. "Yeah, well, uh, I thought it was time for a change."  
Craig draped his arm on the back of her chair, scooting himself closer to her. "Well I love all your looks." He smiled at her the same way he had done the other day when he told her she was beautiful.  
Manny smiled back, relieved. She had always had a small fear in the back of her mind that Craig's affections for her had been superficial. Now she felt confident that they weren't. "So how's Ange?"  
Craig's grin widened. "She's doing great. The doctors said that her recovery is going faster than they expected."  
They spent the rest of the period chatting about everything they had done over the vacation. The period went by quickly for Manny and she and Craig left the room as slowly as possible.  
"I'll talk to you later," Craig said with a slight question in his voice.  
"Yeah. Give me a call tonight." Manny watched him go then went off to the rest of her classes with a slight smile on her face for the rest of the day.  
After school, she headed straight to the Dot. She found a small table in the back and ordered two vanilla cokes. And then she waited.  
After a half an hour, she was ready to give up and leave when Emma finally came through the door. She scanned the restaurant then spotted Manny and hurried over.  
"Sorry, I forgot I had a meeting with the coach."  
"It's okay. I'm just glad you came."  
Both girls were silent for a few minutes, uncomfortable. Then they both began to speak at once.  
"Emma I was-"  
"Manny, I-"  
They both stopped.  
"You go," Manny said quickly, curious to hear what Emma had to say.  
"Okay, well, I was gonna say that I think that the fact that you made this gesture alone, means a lot to me." Emma played with her straw, looking down into her glass. "The main reason I was so angry with you wasn't because of Craig or anything like that. I-I just thought that you didn't care about our friendship anymore. I felt like what I said or did didn't matter to you."  
"Oh Em, that's really not true. You were right. I was getting an ego because of all the attention I was getting. I thought what you said didn't matter at the time, but it does. You are.were my best friend. I guess it just hurt because I knew deep down that what you said was true."  
Emma was silent, obviously thinking over what Manny had just said. "So what brought about the change?"  
"Huh?"  
Emma motioned to Manny's attire. "Your change in style, wanting to talk to me."  
  
Manny wasn't sure if she should tell her, but felt that it was the right thing to do. "Well, to be honest, I realized that that wasn't who I am. I mean, the old me wasn't quite me either. I guess I'm somewhere in the middle. Still trying to figure it out. But, um, Craig kinda helped me realize that stuff too."  
Emma raised an eyebrow and said warily, "Craig?"  
Manny couldn't help but smile thinking about him. "Yeah. He-he told me I was beautiful and I dunno, I could tell he meant it as more than what I was wearing."  
Emma stared at her. "Are you guys together again?"  
"I'm not sure. I think so. I think it's different this time. Besides the fact that he's not with Ash anymore. He makes me feel like.I'm just me and that's okay." Manny paused, waiting for a reaction from Emma.  
A smile slowly began to play on Emma's lips. "You love him."  
Manny looked away, trying to hold back a giggle. "I don't know."  
"Yes you do! You love him!"  
Both girls were laughing by now and Manny felt better than she had in months. "Alright, alright I do." Manny was serious again. "But I don't know how he feels about me yet so don't say anything okay?"  
Emma nodded. "Of course."  
"So.what's our status?"  
Emma took a deep breath. "I don't know. It'll take a while to get over everything that's happened." Then she smiled. "But I think we'll get there."  
Manny smiled back. It felt good to have her friend again. 


	8. Unthinkable

This is a short chapter because I had a sudden inspiration as to where I wanted the story to go. Sorry I don't like neat happy endings, I like angst. (  
  
Craig nearly skipped home from the bus stop that day after school. It had been one of the happiest days in a long time. He felt so light, so overjoyed.  
So in love.  
Craig couldn't stop thinking about Manny. This time last year, he would have never guessed that he would have fallen in love with her. But he had-he'd fallen hard.  
Instead of going straight home, on a whim, he made a sudden detour. He went into a tiny shop that he had never gone into before. It was called "Little Shop of Angels". He wanted to get something special for Manny.  
"Hello, welcome." The owner was an older lady with dark hair mixed with streaks of gray.  
"Hi." Craig wandered over to a shelf that caught his eye. There were tiny statues of angels in various positions. One was holding a harp and another was flying. He gently picked up one with long black hair. She was staring up at the sky and wearing a glittering blue robe. The wings sparkled and there was a glint in her brown eyes.  
Perfect, Craig thought as he brought it up to the register.  
"Is this for a girlfriend?" the woman asked as she wrapped it.  
"Uh, yeah."  
"It's one of my favorites. I'm sure she'll love it."  
Craig smiled. "I hope so." He stayed and chatted with the kind woman for a few minutes longer before heading home.  
Craig fumbled in his bag, trying to find his keys without removing his gloves. Finally he grasped them and unlocked the door. He heard someone inside, which surprised him since Joey should have been at work and Angela was back in school.  
"Caitlin?" Craig was surprised to see her pacing in the living room. "What are you doing here?"  
She turned to him and Craig was shocked to see tearstains on her cheeks.  
"Craig, honey." She trailed off, unable to finish the sentence.  
Craig was suddenly terrified. He didn't want to hear what Caitlin was going to tell him but had to know. "Wh-what's going on?"  
Caitlin came over to him and tried to hug him but he backed away.  
"No, tell me what's going on," he demanded, trying to keep his voice from trembling.  
Caitlin rubbed his shoulder, holding back tears. "Craig, it's Ange."  
Craig felt a horrible cold sensation come over him. "No, no it's not. I-it's not Ange."  
Tears began to stream down Caitlin's face. "Craig I'm so sorry. There were complications."  
"No. Oh God."  
  
The angel slipped out of Craig's hands and smashed to the floor into a thousand pieces. 


	9. Too Much

Joey felt numb. That was the only way he could describe the feeling he had gotten when he had received the call from Angela's school. The feeling grew as he arrived at the hospital. And then the doctors told him.  
They said it was complications from her head injury. Joey had barely heard their words and asked if he could see her. He was allowed a few minutes with his daughter and that had been when the floodgates had opened. He had been barely able to talk when he called Caitlin but managed to get across the basic message. When she arrived at the hospital, he'd wept like a baby as she held him.  
Suddenly, he remembered Craig. "Caitlin, how am I gonna tell him?"  
"I'll take care of it, sweetie," Caitlin replied comfortingly.  
"It's going to just kill him," Joey whispered. "I don't know if he can handle it. I don't know what he'll do."  
Caitlin rubbed his arm soothingly. "It'll be okay. He'll deal."  
But later as she drove Craig to the hospital, she wasn't so sure. When she told him what had happened, he had fallen apart. At first he refused to believe her, yelling that she was lying. Then once it sank in, he had crumbled to the floor in tears.  
Now in the car, he sat with his head against the window, staring blankly ahead. His body shook every now and then as he held back sobs and she could hear his little gasps and sniffles.  
Caitlin, too, was having a hard time keeping a grip on things. She was just as shocked as they were to discover that the girl she had promised Joey she would pick up from school that day was dead. But she knew things were the worst for Craig. He had just lost the last member of his family that he had left.  
Caitlin found a parking space close to the entrance and eased into it. When she stopped the car, Craig didn't seem to show any signs of moving.  
"Craig, we're here," she told him gently.  
He started at the sound of his name and slowly turned his head to Caitlin. Her heart broke at the expression on his face.  
"Come on, sweetie." She got out of the car and went around to the other side, opening the door for Craig. He climbed out and she took his arm, leading him to the entrance. They found Joey still in the emergency room waiting room, staring at the wall opposite him. When they entered he got up and hurried over to Craig. They embraced while Caitlin stood by, her eyes brimming. Joey seemed to be holding himself together pretty well but Craig seemed to lose it once he saw Joey.  
"Why?" he kept repeating through his tears and Joey tried his best to reassure the boy.  
"It'll be okay," Joey whispered. "Shhh. We'll be okay." He gently pulled Craig over to a chair.  
Caitlin grabbed a box of tissues from a table and handed them to Joey who took them gratefully. As Craig wiped his face and tried to calm down, Caitlin's cell phone rang. She excused herself and went down the hall.  
"Hello?"  
"Caitlin, where are you?"  
"Spike?"  
"Weren't you going to come over today? Emma needed to borrow your video camera for her project, remember?"  
"Yeah, Spike, um, there was an emergency. You might want to sit down." "Okay." Caitlin took a deep breath. "Angela Jeremiah passed away this morning." Saying the words made it seem even more terrible and real to her.  
"What? That's impossible. Joey said she was doing fine."  
"Something happened, some sort of blood clot that they were unable to detect until it was too late. It was so sudden, Spike."  
"Oh God. Okay, where are you, the hospital? I'll try my best to get there as soon as possible."  
Caitlin hung up then went back into the waiting room area. Joey was turned away from her, talking to Craig who was seated next to him. Craig was only nodding staring at the carpet. Joey then stood up and turned to face Caitlin.  
"Um, I have to go fill out some forms." He chuckled harshly. "They even make you do it on a day like this." He motioned to Craig. "He's pretty destroyed."  
"How about you?" Caitlin asked, concerned.  
Joey shook his head. "Don't. I need to be strong for Craig right now."  
Caitlin watched him hurry away then sighed and went into the waiting room to sit across from Craig. They were silent for a long time before Craig spoke.  
"You don't have to stay." His voice was trembling after so much crying. "I'm fine."  
"Don't be silly," Caitlin replied with a small smile.  
Craig looked up suddenly. "C-can I borrow your phone for a second?"  
"Sure." Caitlin handed it to him. She was curious but didn't ask who he was going to call as he went down the hall.  
  
+++  
  
Manny entered her house just as the phone was ringing. She hurried into the kitchen and snatched up the receiver.  
"Hello?" she said breathlessly.  
"Manny it's Craig."  
"Oh hey!" She smiled at the sound of his voice. She was eager to tell him what had happened at the Dot with Emma. "What's up?"  
"Angie's dead."  
It took Manny a second to absorb what he said. "Wait, what?"  
"She's dead Manny. Just like everyone else I cared about." His voice sounded hollow.  
"B-but I don't understand-"  
"I'll explain later. Just come to the hospital Manny, please. I just need." His voice cracked and he stopped speaking, overcome with emotion.  
"Oh, Craig, hold on. I'll be right there." She hung up the phone, her hands shaking. She could barely believe what he had said. But it had to be true.  
Manny quickly scribbled a note to her parents. She was halfway down the street when she realized she had no way of reaching the hospital. The next bus wasn't for another half-hour. Making a hasty decision, she turned and ran down the block. She turned up the familiar street and skidded to a stop in front of Emma's house.  
Spike and Emma were already outside apparently about to go into the car. Both were crying and Manny realized that they must know.  
"Emma!" Manny ran up the driveway as they both looked up, startled. "Are you going to the hospital?"  
"Yeah, get in, honey" Spike told her.  
They all piled into the car with Emma in the passenger seat and Manny in the back. The ride was silent for the most part except when they pulled into the parking lot.  
  
"Emma, what do I do?" Manny asked as they climbed out of the car.  
Emma frowned. "What do you mean?"  
"I've never really had to deal with grief like this. I don't know what to say or what to do to make Craig feel better."  
"I dunno.I don't think there really is anything you can do or say. I guess just make sure he knows that he still has people left who care about him."  
Manny nodded slowly. She understood that she couldn't do anything to help Craig and she was sure he knew that too. Still she worried as they entered the waiting area.  
Spike immediately ran to Joey and gave him a hug while Emma hurried into Caitlin's arms. Manny slowly came over to Craig and gently put her arms around him. He was stiff but he hugged her back.  
"Hey," she whispered, looking up at him. She reached up to wipe the tears from his face with her hand but he pulled away. She frowned, confused. "Craig?"  
He looked away, over her head. "I-I can't."  
"What?" Manny stared at him, trying to figure out what was going on. "What can't you do?"  
He shook his head, swallowing hard. "I-I just need some time to think, okay Manny? I shouldn't have told you to come."  
She felt her heart sink and she stepped away from him. "Wh-what does that mean?"  
Craig put a hand to his forehead, rubbing it. "I need to clear my head a little. There's so much going on."  
"I know, I know. We'll get through it."  
Craig tried to smile but it came out as a grimace. "Manny.I.we hafta talk." He gently took her hand in his and led her away from the others.  
She followed him despite her desperate desire not to. She wanted to just stay in her own safe world a little while longer. 


	10. Endings

Craig led Manny down the hall to a small area where there were vending machines and water fountains. It was dimly lit and Manny could barely make out Craig's face. Still she had a feeling about what was coming without having to see his expression.  
"Manny, I.I can't do this anymore."  
"Do what?" she asked breathlessly, trying to stay calm.  
"Any of this stuff." He looked away. "Everyone I care about I lose."  
"Craig."  
Craig shook his head. "No, it's true. First my mom.then my dad and for a little while you and Ash.and now Ange." When he said her name, his voice grew thick with unshed tears. "It's not worth it anymore."  
"What?" Manny whispered harsly. "Of course it is. You can't go through life without caring for people."  
"Yes I can," Craig told her firmly. "I have to Manny or else I might." He stopped suddenly.  
"Might what?"  
"Nothing. It-it's not important." "I don't understand," Manny said. "This is the time where you need people the most. You can't push everyone away like this." Craig took Manny's hands in his and took a step towards her. She could see his face more clearly now. It was exhausted and tearstained.and empty. The hollowness in his eyes scared her. "I don't want to hurt you Manny. But I can't stay with you anymore." He let her hands go. "I.I have nothing left to give you."  
Manny opened her mouth to argue but realized he spoke the truth. The Craig that she knew and loved was gone and the empty husk that remained wouldn't be the same. She had to accept it as much as she hated it.  
Manny stretched up on her tiptoes to brush his cheek with one last kiss. Then she turned and walked away slowly. But she allowed no tears to fall.  
Those she would save for later.  
  
+++  
  
This may be the end of the fanfic but not the end of the story. I am planning a sequel to this entitled, Family. Keep an eye out for it soon. Hopefully I will have the first chapter up within a week. 


End file.
